Yerba Buena is a neighborhood in the midst of remarkable growth. Recognized by many as “the new heart of San Francisco,” it is home to the city’s highest concentration of museums and art galleries, thousands of residents, and unique shopping and dining experiences.

With its thriving street life, packed cultural events calendar, and critical links to the waterfront and transit, there is a high demand for bicycle facilities in the neighborhood. Although the SF Municipal Transportation Authority (MTA) and the Yerba Buena Community Benefit District (YBCBD) are steadily increasing bicycle parking, narrow sidewalks limit the number and distribution of bicycle racks in the neighborhood. Furthermore, demand for bicycle parking in certain locations may be very high for only one or two days a week, during just a few hours a day.

To address this need, the YBCBD and its partners are sponsoring a student competition to design a portable on-street bike corral that is easily deployed in the parking lane when needed. This concept blends the traditional onstreet bike corral idea with mobile openspace infrastructure like the Parkmobiles which are deployed throughout downtown San Francisco. Winning teams will receive a cash prize and the opportunity to work with a professional firm to fabricate a prototype. All team entries will be presented at an exhibition at the San Francisco Planning and Research Association (SPUR).